walter



11m/V104.; Y

(No Model.)

W. WALTER.

BND GUARD FOR GARS. No. 443,882. Patented Deo. 80, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE \VILLIAM TAI/FER, OF BEEOHER CITY, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO G. C. OLINGER, OF SAME PLACE.

END GUARD FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,882, dated December30, 1890.

Application filed September 15, 1890. Serial No. 365,019. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAn WALTER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Beecher City, in the county of Effingham and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in EndGuards for Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use thesaine, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, which .form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in end guards for railroad-cars. Y

The object of the invention is to provide simple, economical, andreliable means or devices to be attached to the ends of box or freightcars for obviating the danger of brakemen or train-men falling betweenthe cars when in motion.

In this description of cars, as is well known, it is necessary for t-hetrain-men in passing from one car to another, for setting the brakes orother purposes, to pass over the tops of the cars. This is a source ofgreat danger, frequently resulting in serious injury and loss of iife bythe train-men falling between the cars. By my invention all danger ofsuch accident is avoided; and the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, andspecifically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of aportion of the cars provided with my improvement-s, one of the carsbeing broken away to` show the interior. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame.

In the said drawings the rcference-niuneral l designates the cars. Ateach end thereof, at or near the top, is located the guard, consistingof a series of rods passing through apertures in the en ds of the cars.These rods are connected at their inner and outer ends by cross-bars 3and 4, and embracing the rods are coiled springs 5, bearing` upon theend of the car and upon the outer cross pieces or bars 4, so as to keepthe rods distended and the bars 4: in contact with each other. The rods2 should be about two or three inches apart and extend the whole widthof the car.

The operation will be readily understood. The coiled springs keep theguard extended, so that the outer cross-bars will bein contact. It isobvious that if a train-man in attempting to step from one car toanother should make a misstep he would be caught by the guard andprevented from falling between the cars. The coiled springs also serveto take up the shock of the cars upon the outer cross-bars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- An end guard forrailroad-cars, consisting of a series of rods passing horizontallythrough the ends of a car near the top and connected at the ends bycross-bars, and coiled springs encircling said bars intermediate theouter cross-bar and the end of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM WALTER.

Witnesses:

WM. H. ANDERSON, JOHN Coon.

